Is Tesco Chicken, Bacon & Stuffing ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- Emulsifier
- Gluten
- E451 Triphosphates
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
- 43 ingredients
- 6 additives
- Nutri-Score D
Less processed poultry sandwiches
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Water, Chicken Breast 21%, Smoked Bacon 8% (Pork Belly, Sugar (processing marker), Salt (processing marker), Emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (Sodium Triphosphate (ultra-processing marker)), Honey (processing marker), Preservative (processing marker) (Sodium Nitrite (processing marker))), Rapeseed Oil, Malted Wheat Flakes, Cornflour, Wheat Bran, White Wine Vinegar, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Salt (processing marker), Onion, Yeast, Wheat Gluten (ultra-processing marker), Emulsifiers (ultra-processing marker) (mono- and DiGlycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker), mono- and DiAcetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of mono- and DiGlycerides of Fatty Acids (ultra-processing marker)), Malted Barley Flour, Oats, Spirit Vinegar, Malted Wheat Flour, Mustard, Sage, Black Pepper, Parsley, Garlic, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil (processing marker)
Additives: E250 Sodium nitrite , E300 Ascorbic acid , E451 Triphosphates , E451i Pentasodium triphosphate , E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids , E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids
As written on the pack
Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Calcium Carbonate, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin], Water, Chicken Breast (21%), Smoked Bacon (8%) [Pork Belly, Sugar, Salt, Emulsifier (Sodium Triphosphate), Honey, Preservative (Sodium Nitrite)], Rapeseed Oil, Malted Wheat Flakes, Cornflour, Wheat Bran, White Wine Vinegar, Pasteurised Egg Yolk, Salt, Onion, Yeast, Wheat Gluten, Emulsifiers (Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids, Mono - and Di-Acetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Mono - and Di-Glycerides of Fatty Acids), Malted Barley Flour, Oats, Spirit Vinegar, Malted Wheat Flour, Mustard Flour, Sage, Black Pepper, Parsley, Garlic Powder, Flour Treatment Agent (Ascorbic Acid), Palm Oil, Sunflower Oil.
What makes it ultra-processed
Cosmetic additives
Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- E451 Triphosphates Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- E471 Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids are made from fats and glycerol.
- E472e Mono- and diacetyltartaric acid esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids Emulsifiers are substances which make it possible to form or maintain a homogenous mixture of two or more immiscible phases such as oil and water in a foodstuff.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
Substances rarely used in home kitchens
Refined or extracted in factories, such as syrups made from starch or isolated proteins. The other hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- Gluten Wheat gluten, sold as "vital wheat gluten", is the protein washed out of wheat flour.
7 ingredients that would only make it processed
Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.
- E250 Sodium nitrite Preservatives are substances which prolong the shelf-life of foods by protecting them against deterioration caused by micro-organisms and/or which protect against growth of pathogenic micro-organisms.
- Honey Honey, used as a sweetener.
- Preservative Preservatives slow spoilage by microbes.
- Salt Salt, added for taste and preservation.
- Sugar Sugar refined from sugar cane or beet.
- Vegetable oil Vegetable oils are pressed or extracted from seeds, nuts and fruits.
- Sandwiches Products in the category "Sandwiches" are at least group 3.
Among 16 chicken sandwiches
From least to most processed, this one ranks 11th. 94% of the chicken sandwiches here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 03234785, last edited 27 March 2026), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
- Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
- NOVA measures processing, not nutrition. For nutrition, Open Food Facts gives this product a Nutri-Score of D (from A, best, to E).
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.